Chapter 50: More than Greed
Two security men stopped Maria Dolores
and Doris. They said that Maria Dolores was being detained because
she had gotten violent with Ivana. Maria Dolores denied this. Doris
asked about Ivana's questions regarding her alleged pregnancy.
Gerry revived Ivana. Her secretary
offered to make her tea but she declined. Danny Boy strode back in,
offering to take Ivana to the hospital. Gerry looked like he wanted
to brain him but Ivana held him back. She said she was alright and
didn't need a doctor. When her back was turned to the men Gerry
grabbed Danny-Boy who denied his part in the violence. “The only
guilty one in this is Maria Dolores,” he said. Ivana stared at
them.
Isela cried as Alma pounded on the
door. “I know everything,” said Alma. Isela opened the door.
Alma told her she had a call from Ho-sefa. She told her that Orlando
tried to rape Isela and asked “Was he the man who had tried to rape
you before??” Isela shook her head. Alma insisted that she stay
at her place for a few days. Isela looked confused.
Max spoke with Esperanza. He explained
that he was taking Leo in to spare him being shipped off to a US
military school. He wanted to help her and her daughters. Doris
called to tell him what happened at Ivana's office.
Isela spoke to Ho-sefa, who didn't like
the idea of her being away. She was going to have to stay at the
Bustamantes' anyway. She told her she had previously spoken to
Claudio about an order of protection against Orlando.
Maleny slithered into the study where
Arango was seated at the desk. She asked about Mama Bear.
He
answered that she had gone out and he didn't know where because he
had just arrived. Maleny approached , wanting to talk about her
father's death. He said he didn't know why she wanted to talk about
it. “Because my mother never stops reminding me about it.”
“How far are you willing to go?” he
asked.
“As far as you want,” she answered.
She slid onto the desk in front of him, giving him a chance to look
up her tight skirt.
“I'm serious,” he said.
“So am I,” she said. “You worked
for my father and at my mother's side all these years. Like a
faithful lap dog. Know what?”
“What?”
“I think you're in love with my
mother.”
“Me?” He took off his glasses.
“Wheee, and you're all tense again.”
She pushed back his jacket, forcing him
fully against the back of the chair. She closed in for the kiss. He
took the bait. He suddenly got up and pushed her back onto the desk
and began kissing her, trapping her against the surface of the desk.
“Is it true?” Gerry asked.
“That it was Maria Dolores who
knocked her out?” started Danny-Boy. A half-second later Mama Bear
charged past the secretary into the office.
“Daniel called me. Did the ambulance
get here?” she said.
“It's OK, Mother,” Danny-Boy said.
“It wasn't necessary.”
“Thanks,
Úrsula,” said Ivana. “Let's just say that I lost the
baby because my husband hit me.”
“Get out of this office, the house,
and Ivana's life,” Gerry said. He grabbed Danny-Boy by the lapels.
Ursula tried to protest.
“Enough!” Ivana shouted. Gerry
released Danny-Boy. “It's over, Daniel. This is the limit.”
“Are you sure of what you're saying?”
Mama Bear asked. Gerry opened the door behind her.
“I never want to see you again. Get
out!” Ivana shouted.
Mama Bear and her cub walked out.
Ivana sat down at her desk. Gerry stared at her.
Orlando and Ari were in Ari's
apartment. Ari told Orlando to forget Isela. “She cheated on you,
man,” he said. “Don't do anything you'll be sorry for.”
Orlando muttered something and walked out in frustration.
“I'm not alright with this either,”
Claudio said to Isela. “But she just wants to help.”
“She's your wife,” Isela answered.
“You can't say no to her.”
“You can't say that. If we're under
the same roof she'll get suspicious.”
“Do you know how hard this is,
Claudio?”
“What?”
“Living with your wife, knowing how I
feel?”
“Do you think I like this any better?
Having you with my family? At least Orlando won't come near you
there.”
“At your house?”
“Alma will calm down.”
Isela's cell rang and she went into the
main office to answer. Ari told her that Orlando had wanted to
borrow his car but he didn't lend it. He wanted to take her away.
She ended the call without a word in reply.
Max got to the Duval security office
just as Maria Dolores and Doris were being brought in. Doris
admitted calling him. Max asked what happened and Maria Dolores said
“I was arguing with Ivana and it looks like she fainted afterwards.
I'm being blamed for it.” Doris said Gerry got involved and said
he didn't think she had any responsibility. Maria Dolores wanted to
go home. Max told her he just came from there. He had told
Baldomero and his shyster to stop bothering her. He said he would
drive them back and had to get his things also.
Claudio asked Isela if she spoke to
Orlando. She said no. She told him her mother wanted more for her
than a mechanic and he had wanted to marry her. She had always
wanted to get married and not be anybody's mistress.
Mama Bear finished telling what had
happened at Duval's, saying “We're right back where we started
from.”
Maleny said “No, Mama; we're worse
off than before. We started out with flowers, but you, velociraptor,
rat, idiot, It's as though you urinated all over her.”
“You've got a vulgar way of putting
things,” Mama Bear said.
“Ivana was provoking me, Mother,”
Danny-Boy whined. “You should have heard what she said.”
“The whole world doesn't revolve
around you,” Maleny said.
“Think about this carefully, Daniel”
said Mama Bear. “Because Ivana isn't a fool like Maria Dolores.”
“She caused this,” Danny-Boy said.
He explained the business loan Maria Dolores had scored and the
revelation that he had stolen the red dress.
“Ivana is now the cat is playing with
the mouse,” said Arango, who had been listening and observing.
“She wanted to keep her close to see
if we were telling the truth about whether she was pregnant or not,”
said Mama Bear.
“Look, now you won't see a growing
stomach,” Maleny taunted.
“So Gerry sent you packing,” said
Mama Bear. “But if she is having a baby all is not lost.”
“I'd rather seduce Maria Dolores
again than go back to that butterball Ivana,” he said.
Leo was leaving his parents' home. He
had two suitcases. Alma wasn't happy but said it was better than him
being sent away. He was still angry with her because this was her
fault.
Maria Dolores and Max talked about the
situation with Ivana. He didn't like the idea of her being near
Daniel. She said she and Doris would figure out the division of
labor. She once thought that Ivana was another of Danny-Boy's
victims. Now she was convinced that Ivana was as bad as Danny-Boy.
Max was sure that Ivana was influenced by Danny-Boy. He told Maria
Dolores he wouldn't let her go through this alone. He was going to
help her whether she liked it or not. He tried to kiss her but she
didn't let him. He backed away, but didn't want to.
“No, Daniel, it's not a hardhip,”
said Mama Bear. “You won't even have to talk to Maria Dolores to
make her pregnant.”
“He won't be able to.” Maleny
taunted while gesturing with her drink. “Because Maria Dolores is
obviously in love with Maaaax.” She was making the sound of a
sheep bleating.
“No, no, no,” said Danny-Boy.
“That remains to be seen.”
“We have to figure out how to make
her pregnant,” said Mama Bear.
“How? How? Mother, it's not that
easy.”
“I want no excuses,” she said.
“Max is not with Maria Dolores, you're not with Ivana. You have
all the time in the world to do it.”
“No, no!” Maleny said. “You have
no time to lose.”
“The next time you're at Ivana's
house you're going there with a baby in your arms.”
He stared as though she had gone mad.
Mama Bear took away his drink and finished it. Arango stared at the
three of them but said nothing.
Ivana stared at her garden. She told
Gerry she wanted to be alone. He kissed her gently and left without
saying a word. She thought about the night Danny-Boy knocked her up,
the dive in the pool for the ring, and the proposal. She cried, but
without becoming hysterical.
Maria Dolores, Doris, and Esperanza
talked about what happened. Maria Dolores seemed confused about
whether Ivana was pregnant, then remembered Danny-Boy telling her
about the hysterectomy. She wasn't sure that was true. But the
truth about the stolen red dress was out. That was why she didn't
want to accept the business loan. However, they were not in a
position to change their minds.
Max welcomed Leo to his apartment.
Claudio returned to his office. He
called Isela, who was walking home. She told him she was going to
elope with Orlando after all. She told Claudio she wasn't going to
feel right in his house. He started to panic about losing her. She
didn't want to call any problems.
Maria Dolores, Doris, and Esperanza
talked about reserving money for the rental of the sewing machines
and how they would deal with the other things. Maria Dolores
escorted Doris out to continue the conversation.
Isela was trying to get out of
Ho-sefa's house. When Ho-sefa asked why she was doing this she
reminded her of her complaints about the cost of maintaining her.
Ho-sefa smiled. Or did she?
Maria Dolores and Doris walked to the
sidewalk outside the courtyard. They talked about the loan, who
would take charge of what about the business. They seemed to talk
about designing clothes for women like Doris. Neither wanted to deal
with Ivana. Doris promised to stick together with Maria Dolores.
They got to the courtyard entrance. Neither saw Danny-Boy watching
them from behind the wheel of his car. Orlando pulled up in front of
the courtyard entrance.
Julian and Fermin talked about Fermin's
schedule for the next day. Julian reminded him to put his recovery
first. Fermin was determined to prove his worth. He had gotten off
to a good start. Honoria seemed proud. Julian smiled at his
parents.
Isela was going to pack a few more
things, but saw that her suitcases were gone. Ho-sefa told Isela
that she sent her suitcases to the Bustamante mansion. She ran out
of the apartment. Ho-sefa grinned with satisfaction and ran after
her.
Orlando was waiting outside the car.
Doris asked him how he could do this after Isela had betrayed him.
He ignored her questions and went inside the courtyard. Ho-sefa
yelled at him that he would not take Isela away from her. Isela got
to the bottom of the stairs and he took her hand. They continued out
to the car with Ho-sefa not far behind. Maria Dolores got in between
at one point, which lasted until they were out by the white car.
Isela got inside and Ho-sefa ran after Orlando to stop him from
getting into the car. Honoria joined the fray and tried to restrain
her. Orlando got into the car on the driver's side and closed the
door. Ho-sefa tried to stand in front of the car but Clara and
Fermin got her out of the way with a little help from Orlando honking
the car horn. He took off. Ho-sefa ran for a few steps, then
collapsed into crocodile tears as her meal ticket disappeared.
A moment later she stood and caught her
breath. The entire neighborhood had witnessed her humiliation.
Maria Dolores was the first to hear her venom, accusing them all of
being buttinskies. The others watched her sternly as she walked past
them into the courtyard. They followed her back in at a distance.
Two expressed the collective opinion to Esperanza that Ho-sefa had
gotten what she deserved “after everything she said about your
daughters.” Esperanza wasn't in the mood for this. She said they
wouldn't treat her as she had treated them as they watched Ho-sefa
slink back to her lair. Ari arrived asking whether Orlando had come
for Isela. She answered him.
Claudio arrive home. Alma asked about
Isela but he didn't have an answer for her. The phone rang as he sat
down and a maid came out to hand the phone to Alma. It was Ho-sefa,
telling her that Orlando had kidnapped Isela by force and everyone
saw it happen.
Ari and Doris went back to the Morales
apartment with Maria Dolores. Ari explained that he had no idea that
Orlando would do this and he think he's gone nuts. He wouldn't lend
him his car because he didn't approve so Orlando took a client's car.
Doris became concerned that Orlando would be charged with grand
theft auto and ordered Ari to go out and look for him immediately to
make him return the car. For good measure she shoved him out the
door.
Maria Dolores tried calling but got no
answer. Julian arrived to find out what was happening. When they
told him he said “We might all have different opinions but with the
way Ho-sefa treats her I think it's better this way.”
Ho-sefa begged Alma to help. She
covered the mouthpiece and told Claudio. “We have to help her
because I think he's the man who raped her.”
Maria Dolores and Doris tried to make
sense of this. Maria Dolores said there was a time when she would
stick her hands in the fire for Isela, but wasn't so sure anymore.
Doris was sure, though. She called Isela a slut and said she was
playing both men. She had told Maria Dolores she was in love with
Claudio, but Doris knew that Orlando had caught Isela with him. So
why was this even happening?
Orlando stopped the car and they talked
for a minute. She had nothing of hers with her, including identity
papers. He promised to make it all up to her. They kissed. For a
moment she convinced him she loved him but then suddenly broke the
kiss, got out of the car, and ran into what looked like a shantytown.
He ran after her just as a police car approached the car parked too
far from the curb. The cop from the driver's seat radioed his
station that they found the car.
Orlando chased Isela through the
shantytown. When he caught up with her she begged him to let her go
because they couldn't escape together. She seemed to calm down.
Dogs barked nearby. Orlando led her out.
Ho-sefa sulked in her apartment. She
answered a knock on the door and Esperanza entered. She was offering
sympathy and help. Ho-sefa accused her of laughing at her. She told
her to leave her alone because she won't tolerate busybodies. She
ordered her out.
Honoria must have seen or heard this
happen. She couldn't believe this. Julian reminded her that
Esperanza and her daughters were good-hearted people. Fermin
commented that people get what they deserve. He felt no pity for
Ho-sefa, whom he knew not to be Isela's mother. He hoped that they
wouldn't come back and that they would be happy.
Isela looked like she was in shock.
Orlando led her out of the shantytown, telling her she was safe with
him and would be alright. They went back to the car. The police
were watching. When Orlando shut the passenger door and went to the
driver's side, a cop asked for his driver's license and the papers
for the car. He got inside, pulled out some papers, then floored the
accelerator. The police followed. Neither Orlando nor Isela had
their seat belts fastened. She screamed all the way. The police
siren screamed during the pursuit. She grabbed his arm as they went
through an intersection and were side-swiped.
Later Maria Dolores told Doris to all
her at any hour if she heard anything. Doris headed home. Danny-Boy
was very patient. He followed Maria Dolores and grabbed her,
slamming her back against a brick wall.
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